Means for controlling prime movers



Sept. 6.1927. 41,943 7 F. WHITE ET AL v MEANS FOR CONTROLLING PRIME MOVERS.

Filed Jun a0. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet, 1

I N VEN TOR. F/wi/vc/s WHITE f/mnr Wwre ATTORNEY.

Sept. 6 1927. F. WHITE ET AL 1,641,943

MEANS FOR CQNTROLLING PRIME MOVERS Filed June so. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N V EN TOR. ffiw/vc 15, WHITE Mm)? WHITE BY CW 6% A TTORNE Y.

Patented Sept. 6,1927.

VPUNITEDJSTATES 1,641,943 PA ENTorFica;

FRANCIS WHITE AND HARRY WHITE, OF AKRON, OHIO. ii

MEANS FOR CONTROLLING PRIME MOVERS. 7

Application filed June 30, 1924. Serial No. 723,154.

In the pumping or impelling of fluids as, c

for example, in the pumping of oil from wells or of water from wells, springs, or 1 rivers, etc, into reservoirs, it is usually the case that an attendant cannot be employed to watch the operation of each of the great number of pumps which are ordinarily scattered over wide areas. Moreover, it frequently happens that for-one reason or another a pump will cease to operate. This may result from binding of the pump shaft in the hearings or numerous other causes of every day occurrence.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide an improved procedure and apparatus whereby the destruction of pumping or impelling machinery including the prime mover itself will be prevented by automatically stopping the prime mover when the pump or other impeller fails to operate properly.

The chief object of the invention is to pr0- vide an apparatus for controlling the prime mover by the effect of less than normal air pressure on a control device caused by the surge of fluid backward through a pipe sys tem when the pump or impeller fails to 0p crate.

The above and lesser objects of the invention will become more apparent when the following specific description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating one embodiment of the invention in an apparatus adapted to carry out the invention, it being understood that the same is not limited to the specific forms thereof shown and described.

Of the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the manner of applying the invention to an oil well pumping system; and

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, 10 is a prime mover, in this case an electric motor, which is adapted to drive a shaft 11 extending vertically down into a well within a pipe 12, the shaft 11 being adapted to drive a pump (not shown) at the bottom of the well, which pump is arranged to force oil up the pipe 12. The shaft 11 extends upwardly through) a coupling 13 on pipe 12 on which is mounted a hearing 14 for the shaft, the coupling 1.3v

being adapted to deliver oil to a pipe 15 for conducting the same to a tanker the like (not shown).

In the pipe 15 1s a gate valve 16 and a check valve 17, the latter being arranged to prevent flow of the oil backwardly into the.

Between the 1 well should the pump fail. check valve 17 and the well, there is connected. to the pipe 15, a smaller pipe 18 leading to a control device constructed according to the invention. The pipe 18 is connected to the control device by two pipes 19 and 20, pipe 19 having a gate valve 21 therein and pipe 20 having a'checl: valve 22 therein, the latter being adapted. tobe held I closed by the pressure of'oil in the pipe 15 when the pump is properly working. v

The control device in this instance, compr1ses a cylinder 23 in which is slidably mounted a piston 24 secured on a rod 25- which extends out of the cylinder and is connected by a cable 26 extending over pulleys 27. and 28 and connected to a trip lever 29 on an ordinary starting rheostat 30. The lever 29 is adapted to be disengaged from a latch 31 to permit suitable devices (not shown) to automatically break the circuit through leads 32 and 83 and the motor 10.

In operation, so long as the pump is operating normally, the check valve 17 will be open and check valve 22 will be closed. Valve 21 may be left open sufliciently to keep piston 24 in the upper part of the cylinder 23, but preferably the valve 21 is opened only long enough to permit the cylinder to fill with oil, it then being closed and the oil being retained therein by pressure of the fluid in pipe 15 which, as stated before, keeps check valve 22 closed.

Should the pump fail for any reason, as, for example, because of binding of shaft 11 in bearing 14, the oil in pipe 15 will surge backwardly into the well, oil beyond the check valve 17 being prevented from running back into the well by closing of the valve. Closing of the valve 17 and the flow of oil not yet past the'valve, out of pipe 15 back into the well will create a partial vacuum in the pipe 15 which will cause check valve 22 to open and will withdraw the oil from the cylinder 23,'normal air pressure on the upper surface of piston 24: being such as to urge it downwardly whereby trip lever 29 will release latch 31 and break the circuit to motor 10 to prevent the latter from burning out. After the trouble in the system is found and corrected the rheostat control will be reset as will be unilerettmd.

lVhile there is shown for purposes of illustration one form of prime mover it will be understood that the invention may be ap plied as well to the controllimr oi a valve in a steam line leading to a steam engine or turbine, or for controlling a valve ill a water line leading to a. motor or turbine or to any other type of prime mover by the provision of suitable mechanism between the piston 24; or other vacuum controlled device and the prime mover control.

Modifications ot' the invention other than those disclosed herein may be resorted to without departing irom the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

\Vhat we claim is:

1. Apparatus of the class described com prising a fluid conducting systcnn an im peller in the system, a prime mover tor operating the impeller, and means eonneclel to the system adapted to be actuated when the impeller fails to stop the prime mover; said means including a piston atl'ected by normal air pressure On one side and by pres-- sure in the system on the otliciu a check valve between the piston and the system normally held closed by pressure in the system. and a second valve between the piston and the system adapted to be operated at will without alt'ecting operation of said check valve.

2. The combination with a well having a conduit for delivering liquid upwardly therefrom, said conduit being of such height as to back-drain by gravity against atmospheric pressure it the pump should fail, a pump l'or forcinga liquid out of the well through said conduit, a prime mover for driving the pump, and means for controlling the prime mover, of a check valve in said conduit at the top of the well and a device connected to the conduit between the check valve and the well, operable only by creation of a partial vacuum in the conduit by flow ot the liquid from the conduit back into the well, causing closure of the check valve, said device being connected to said controlling means to stop the prime mover.

3. The combination with a pipe system adapted to back-drain by gravity against atmospheric pressure, an impeller for pumping a liquid through said. system, and a plume mover for driving the impeller, of a check valve in the system adapted to be closed by a backward surge of the liquid in the conduit. and means operable only upon closure of the check valve to stop the prime lIlOVel'.

FRANCIS WHITE. HARRY WHITE. 

